HEAD(hed), (n.) 1. the top part of the human body or the front part of an animal where the eyes, nose, east and mouth are. "Your brain is in your head."DIBS(dibz), (n.) 2. a thick, sweet syrup made in countries of the East, especially the Middle East, from grape juice or dates. [Arabic "debs"]--World Book Dictionary, 1976.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

People who inspire me are the ones who stand on the border of their existence and whether they live or die, still find a way to triumph in their adversity. These people are both fictional or nonfictional, real and imagined.

Favorite books, stories and movies (some books have been filmed):

“The Revenant”

“Lone Survivor”

“Castaway”

“To Build A Fire”

“Into The Wild”

“Never Cry Wolf”

“Robinson Crusoe”

“Alone” by Rear Admiral Richard Byrd

“Island Of The Blue Dolphins”

"K2"

Anything about Mount Everest

These people prove there is more to life than “arriving.” It’s the journey. There is something about digging in, getting a firm grasp and refusing to let go.

My fitness journey has shown me that I am capable of much more than I’ve ever imagined and when I read of men and women who push themselves because they have no choice (or maybe they do), I am inspired to go further, faster, harder, longer. I’m just an old fat guy, but guess what--what started as 15 minutes of walking (what, 5 years go) has ended up becoming

I train with a mission that takes me to a boundary of one kind or another. I test myself. My workout is my training ground. Some days it is all physical, some days I have to work harder mentally. Other days, the emotional side gets a session. Everything gets worked because not every workout is fun (“If it were fun, you’re not trying hard enough.” Shut up, coach). Because sometimes the things life throws at you is not fun.

Monday, July 11, 2016

Whether at home or in your office, at your desk, in the gym, at the store--wherever you go--do you notice the people around you? Who do you see? Who do you see most?

Husband? Wife? Child? One child more than another child? Friend? Co-worker?

Who do you see most? Who do you notice? Do you notice people you know and people you don’t? Ok, so you notice everyone--who do you see? When I look across the street I see one guy trying to be his next door neighbor and I get sad.

Look at that guy across the street, or the guy crossing the street. What do you notice about him?

Sometimes I wish I were like Sherlock Holmes, who in a glance can find all he needs to know about a person. Give Holmes 14 seconds and he understands. Rarely he’s wrong, but what a skill to have!

I think we’ve lost something, in the way we perceive. Too many filters. We’ve failed to notice. We notice people but fail to see them. People have matters on their heart and mind. They are happy or sad for a reason. They have a purpose or none at all. I see people who understand themselves and I see people who don’t. I see people who understand other people and I see people who don’t. I see people in masks.

There is concept attributed to the Japanese (not sure how true that is), that everyone has three faces: one shown to the world; one shown to family and friends; and one nobody sees but you. This is the true “you.”

I see people as ambassadors of the the worlds they create in themselves, each one living out his or her world against the bubble of another. Sometimes, like mathematical subsets, one’s world may include another, but each one stands alone. Worlds combine like Venn-diagrams, overlapping and changing the overall color of everything: culture, society, family, one another . . .